Written Answers Thursday 29 January 2009

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-17640 by Michael Russell on 14 November 2008, whether any of the investment scenarios referred to were based in this financial year or 2009-10.

Michael Russell: As set out in Section 1.2 of the independent Bull Hire and Stud Farms Option Appraisal by Peter Cook a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47394) the scenarios are based on "today’s money", that is to say 2008.

Agriculture

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-17658 by Michael Russell on 14 November 2008, whether crofters will be entitled to funding, in the same financial year, toward the cost of transporting a bull to service cattle when funding has already been provided in respect of an other bull.

Michael Russell: The successor arrangements to provide assistance have yet to be finalised.

Agriculture

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what decisions have been made following the Agricultural Wages in Scotland: The Scottish Agricultural Wages Board consultation.

Richard Lochhead: No decision has yet been taken on the future of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board.

Agriculture

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the retention and expansion of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board.

Richard Lochhead: We will give very careful consideration to future arrangements for determining the pay and conditions of service of agricultural workers in Scotland as part of the review of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board.

Alcohol

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many under-18s were (a) arrested and (b) charged for purchasing or attempting to purchase alcohol in 2007-08.

Fergus Ewing: Information on the number of under 18s arrested for purchasing or attempting to purchase alcohol is not held centrally, only the number of offences recorded. There were 115 of these offences recorded in 2007-08 and 131 in 2006-07.

  Information on the number of under 18s charged for purchasing or attempting to purchase alcohol is not held centrally. Criminal proceedings data for 2007-08 is still being processed and the data is therefore not available at this time. The 2007-08 data is planned for release in April 2009. There were seven persons proceeded against in court for this offence in 2006-07.

  The statistics dealing with recorded crime and court proceedings are not directly comparable as a person may be proceeded against for more than one crime involving more than one victim and there is the possibility that the crime recorded by the police may be altered in the course of judicial proceedings. Also a crime may be recorded by the police in one year and court proceedings concluded in a subsequent year.

Autism

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the effectiveness of co-ordinated support plans under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 in meeting the needs of young people with autism.

Adam Ingram: Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education reported on the consistency, effectiveness and efficiency of education authorities in implementing the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 in November 2007.

  The report identified the need to improve the consistency with which the legislation surrounding co-ordinated support plans is interpreted. This includes co-ordinated support plans for children and young people with autism.

  I have asked officials to convene a short term working group to advise on co-ordinated support plan related matters and help facilitate the development of any further guidance or training. The group has held its first meeting. The key aim is to provide advice on how to improve the effectiveness of co-ordinated support plans for all children and young people who require them including those with autism. The initial outcomes of the group are expected to be available around spring 2009.

  The government will also soon publish The Autism Toolbox, an autism resource for Scottish local authorities and schools. This draws on a range of advice, experience and research to support education authorities and school staff to manage the day to day practice of supporting and teaching pupils with autism. The resource highlights the importance of multi-agency working including the preparation of co-ordinated support plans and considers the role of different professionals in supporting children with autism and their families.

Central Heating Programme

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people who are in receipt of the state pension do not have central heating.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) provides this data. Table 1 shows the number of people in receipt of state pension by central heating status none. These figures are an estimate from a survey and so have an associated confidence interval. The table also includes the 95% confidence interval. The sample size, for those with no central heating (also shown), is very small, making the estimate unreliable.

  Table 1: The estimated number of people in receipt of state retirement pension by central heating status with associated confidence intervals and sample size – SHCS 2007:

  

 Central heating status
 None


 No of people
 11,000


 95% confidence interval
 8,000


 Upper limit
 3,000


 Lower limit
 19,000


 Sample size
 14

Central Heating Programme

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pensioners who receive pension credit do not have central heating.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) provides this data. Table 1 shows the number of people in receipt of pension credit by central heating status none. These figures are an estimate from a survey and so have an associated confidence interval. The table also includes the 95% confidence interval. The sample size (also shown), for pensioners with no central heating, is very small which makes the estimate unreliable.

  Table 1: The estimated number of people in receipt of pension credit by central heating status none with associated confidence intervals and sample size – SHCS 2007:

  

 Central heating status
 None


 No of people
 1,000


 95% confidence interval
 3,000


 Upper limit
 4,000


 Lower limit
 -


 Sample size
 3

Crofters Commission

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which of the Crofters Commission’s overheads are allocated to the Bull Hire Scheme when determining the costs of the scheme.

Michael Russell: No Crofters Commission overhead costs are allocated to the Bull Hire Scheme when determining the costs of the scheme as published in the Crofters Commission Annual Report. The full costs of the Stud Farm staff and a small proportion of the costs of other Crofters Commission staff are taken into account.

Crofters Commission

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive in what agricultural or research uses the farms in and around Inverness that are managed by the Crofters Commission are involved.

Michael Russell: This information is not held centrally. I have asked the Chief Executive of the Crofters Commission to respond to you directly with the information you request.

Crofters Commission

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what accounting capital charges are associated with the operation of the three farms in and around Inverness that are managed by the Crofters Commission and whether such capital charges are taken into account when calculating the costs associated with the Bull Hire Scheme and estimates of the costs associated with renting a bull.

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether depreciation is taken into account when calculating the operating costs of the three farms in and around Inverness that are managed by the Crofters Commission and, if so, what the value is of that depreciation.

Michael Russell: Capital charges and depreciation associated with the operation of the farms in and around Inverness can be found in the Annual Accounts section of the Crofters Commission Annual Reports for 2003-04 (Bib. number 33883), 2004-05 (Bib. number 37580), 2005-06 (Bib. number 40519), 2006-07 (Bib. number 43711) and 2007-08 (Bib. number 46774). These do not take account of any new investment required to refurbish the farms to a modern standard.

  The indicative cost of £2,500 for future hire costs, at less than 120 bulls hired per annum, drawn from section 3.1 of the independent Bull Hire and Stud Farms Option Appraisal (Bib. number 47394), does not include an element for capital charges or depreciation. The cost of depreciation would require to be added in order to calculate the full costs of the Bull Hire Scheme, including for State Aid de minimis recording purposes. Inclusion of depreciation at the current level would have the effect of raising the estimated total hire costs to some £2,900 per bull.

Economy

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what will be on its list of priorities for development across Scotland when it next meets leaders of industry and local authorities.

John Swinney: Our priority is - and remains - our economic purpose: to create a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable growth.

  We have published an Infrastructure Investment Plan and an Economic Recovery Programme. We have also set up the Scottish Futures Trust which is now actively engaged in realising the investment envisaged in our plan and included in the Recovery Programme. We will continue to work closely with business leaders and with local authorities with discussions taking place in many formal and informal settings.

Economy

Bill Wilson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that parameters like gross domestic product cannot on their own measure sustainable growth and that parameters that take account of externalities such as happiness, wellbeing and environmental impacts should be given at least equal weight.

John Swinney: Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a widely accepted international measure of economic performance and therefore an emphasis on GDP is relevant when measuring our economic performance against that of our European counterparts.

  The Scottish Government’s Purpose is increasing sustainable economic growth, and the Government Economic Strategy identifies the need to balance economic growth and the important social, regional and inter-generational equity objectives of the government. Our purpose targets have been set to track progress in the drivers of economic growth and in the delivery of our desired characteristics of growth. These targets are further supplemented by our national outcomes, and indicators, as set out in the National Performance Framework – this includes a National Indicator on the Ecological Footprint.

  An Additional Measures of Progress Steering group was established in 2006 to review the evidence of the options for additional and improved ways of measuring progress. In concluding its work the Steering Group presented three recommendations on additional and improved ways of measuring progress to Scottish Government ministers in July 2008 – including a recommendation that the Scottish Government should continue to monitor developments in wider measures of progress that incorporate wellbeing. The Scottish Government is now taking forward each of these recommendations.

Education

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils were suspended or expelled for threatening physical violence using a weapon or improvised weapon in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority.

Maureen Watt: The requested information on the number of exclusions of primary and secondary school pupils for threatening physical violence using a weapon or improvised weapon in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority, has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47414).

Education

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils were suspended or expelled from school for physical assault with a weapon in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority.

Maureen Watt: The requested information on the number of exclusions of primary and secondary school pupils for physical assault with a weapon in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47413)

Education

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many exclusions there were from (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) Aberdeen, (ii) Aberdeenshire and (iii) Angus during 2006-07, broken down by reason for exclusion.

Maureen Watt: The requested information on Exclusions in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Angus in 2006-07 by reason for exclusion has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47412).

Education

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated savings would be from replacing the Get Ready for Work allowance with the Education Maintenance Allowance, as proposed in 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support .

Fiona Hyslop: The proposal within the 16+ Learning Choices: First Steps Activity and Financial Support consultation is not about financial savings. It is being proposed to address the specific issue of parity of financial support for young people in education and those in vocational training.

Education

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated savings would be from abolishing the Educational Maintenance Allowance at (a) £10 and (b) £20 per week, as proposed in the 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support .

Fiona Hyslop: The aim of the changes to the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) proposed in 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support is to refocus existing resources to better target support towards the most vulnerable young people wherever they are learning. It is not to produce savings. Any changes to EMA would be phased in so that young people already in receipt of the allowance will not be affected by the changes. This means that the full amounts below would not be realised until 2011-12.

  We estimate that the resource released by removing the (a) £10 and (b) £20 payments are (a) £1.7 million and (b) £2.8 million.

Education

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated savings would be from reducing the maximum income threshold for qualification for the Educational Maintenance Allowance from £21,835 to £19,835, as proposed in 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support .

Fiona Hyslop: The aim of the changes to the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) proposed in 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support is to refocus existing resources to better target support towards the most vulnerable young people wherever they are learning. It is not to produce savings. Any changes to EMA would be phased in so that young people already in receipt of the allowance will not be affected by the changes. This means that the full amounts below would not be realised until 2011-12.

  We estimate that the resource released from the reduction of the EMA income threshold is £3 million.

Education

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated savings would be from abolishing the Young Person’s Bridging Allowance, as proposed in 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support .

Fiona Hyslop: The aim of the proposals in 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support is not to make savings but to improve the support available to young people.

  Annual expenditure on the Young Persons’ Bridging Allowance, based on 2007-08 figures, was £75,000.

Education

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated savings would be from centralising the delivery of Education Maintenance Allowances, as proposed in 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support .

Fiona Hyslop: The aim of the changes to the Education Maintenance Allowance that are proposed in 16+ Learning Choices: First Steps and Financial Support is to refocus existing resources rather than to identify savings.

  We do not expect to release resources from centralising the delivery of the Education Maintenance Allowance.

Education

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students would benefit from extending the Education Maintenance Allowance to students studying in the private, independent and third sector, as proposed in 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support .

Fiona Hyslop: Young people in the independent school sector are already able to apply via their local authority for Education Maintenance Allowance.

  Our consultation proposes the extension of support to young people learning with third sector providers as part of an overall approach to developing Activity Agreements.

  I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20042 on 29 January 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Education

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the cost of introducing Activity Agreements, as proposed in 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support .

Fiona Hyslop: The Introduction of Activity Agreements would be made possible by the redirection of existing resource as outlined in 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support.

  We estimate that some £10.5 million would be available. This represents the resources released through the proposals in our consultation, together with the existing Activity Agreement pilot budget of £3 million.

Education

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students would benefit from the introduction of Activity Agreements, as proposed in 16+ Learning Choices: First Step Activity and Financial Support .

Fiona Hyslop: Activity Agreements would provide young people who are not ready or able to access formal learning or training with an offer of learning which better suits their needs.

  Our prime target group is the 7,000 young people who fail to reach a positive destination on leaving school together with those who are unable to sustain a positive post-school transition.

Employment

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) men and (b) women were made redundant in 2008.

Jim Mather: The Annual Population Survey (APS) contains information about people who have been made redundant. Respondents to the survey are asked whether they had been made redundant in the three months prior to taking part in the survey. The most recent data available from the APS are for the year July 2007 - June 2008 and are given in table 1.

  Table 1 People made Redundant in the Preceding Three Months, Scotland, July 2007 to June 2008

  

 Male
 6,400


 Female
 4,700


 Total
 11,100



  Source: Annual Population Survey July 2007 to June 2008.

  Note: Levels have been rounded to the nearest hundred.

Employment

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the unemployment figures were for (a) North Lanarkshire, (b) South Lanarkshire and (c) Falkirk council area in each quarter since 1999, broken down by local authority ward.

Jim Mather: The claimant count gives the number of people claiming unemployment related benefits and is produced by the Office for National Statistics.

  Table 1 shows the number of people within North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire and Falkirk who were claiming an unemployment related benefit, for each quarter since 1999. Quarterly figures are based on the average of the three months contained within the quarter. As the statistics are not seasonally adjusted, comparisons should only be made between the same two quarters.

  Data on unemployment by multi-member electoral ward is not held centrally. Data on the number of people claiming Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA) by the old ward boundaries (which existed until the 2007 local government elections) is published by the Department for Work and Pensions and can be accessed at the weblink below.

  http://83.244.183.180/NESS/BEN/jsa.htm.

  Table 1: Claimant Count Unemployment for Requested Local Authorities, 1999-2008

  

 Quarter
 North Lanarkshire
 South Lanarkshire
 Falkirk


 January-March 1999
 10,694
 7,898
 4,448


 April-June 1999
 10,053
 7,364
 4,200


 July-September 1999
 9,621
 7,327
 3,917


 October-December 1999
 8,354
 6,414
 3,443


 January-Mar 2000
 9,269
 7,064
 3,815


 April-June 2000
 8,382
 6,521
 3,571


 July-September 2000
 8,277
 6,466
 3,513


 October-December 2000
 7,059
 5,754
 3,222


 January-Mar 2001
 8,073
 6,227
 3,439


 April-June 2001
 7,638
 5,772
 3,098


 July-September 2001
 7,910
 5,839
 3,133


 October-December 2001
 7,468
 5,486
 3,187


 January-Mar 2002
 8,473
 6,261
 3,509


 April-June 2002
 8,097
 5,829
 3,281


 July-September 2002
 7,637
 5,793
 3,288


 October-December 2002
 6,838
 5,341
 3,032


 January-Mar 2003
 7,885
 5,980
 3,351


 April-June 2003
 7,622
 5,512
 3,023


 July-September 2003
 7,452
 5,559
 3,112


 October-December 2003
 6,782
 5,124
 2,948


 January-Mar 2004
 7,601
 5,673
 3,177


 April-June 2004
 6,927
 5,005
 2,830


 July-September 2004
 6,470
 4,880
 2,703


 October-December 2004
 5,919
 4,504
 2,634


 January-Mar 2005
 6,604
 4,924
 2,871


 April-June 2005
 6,106
 4,473
 2,588


 July-September 2005
 6,054
 4,506
 2,504


 October-December 2005
 5,494
 4,341
 2,388


 January-Mar 2006
 6,460
 4,979
 2,590


 April-June 2006
 6,529
 4,652
 2,555


 July-September 2006
 6,333
 4,612
 2,508


 October-December 2006
 5,570
 4,418
 2,295


 January-Mar 2007
 6,085
 4,723
 2,566


 April-June 2007
 5,470
 4,169
 2,273


 July-September 2007
 5,209
 3,876
 2,095


 October-December 2007
 4,590
 3,444
 1,906


 January-Mar 2008
 5,138
 3,852
 2,103


 April-June 2008
 5,192
 3,806
 2,002


 July-September 2008
 5,865
 4,415
 2,303


 October-December 2008
 6,898
 5,287
 2,885



  Source: Office for National Statistics.

Environment

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-16463 by Michael Russell on 30 September 2008, which body is responsible for clearing debris below the high-water mark on beaches.

Michael Russell: In general terms such marine pollution comes within the jurisdiction of the UK Government. Responsibility for enforcing the relevant legislation falls to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency of the Department for Transport.

Forestry

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings Scottish ministers have had with representatives of Rothschild since May 2007 and what issues were discussed.

Michael Russell: Scottish ministers have met with representatives of Rothschild bank on two occasions in connection with ideas developed by Rothschilds with regard to the forestry sector.

Forestry

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what central and local government funding streams are available to the Central Scotland Forest Trust for planting new woodlands.

Michael Russell: Managers and owners of eligible woodlands within the Central Scotland Forest Trust area can apply for grant-aid generally available under the Scottish Rural Development Programme e.g. Forestry Challenge Funds, Forestry Options under Rural Development Contracts.

Forestry

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether charitable trusts that own land can apply to the Scotland Rural Development Programme for funding for the creation of new woodlands.

Michael Russell: Land owners can register their business and land within the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) which allows them to become eligible for payments from the Scotland Rural Development Programme funding mechanisms. It does not matter whether they are a charitable trust or a commercial enterprise so long as they have legal tenure of the land and are prepared to sign up to a contract with the Scottish Government.

Forestry

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Forestry Challenge Funds include the Woods In and Around Towns initiative.

Michael Russell: The Woods In and Around Towns (WIAT) initiative comprises a general focus for Forestry Commission Scotland’s work on improving quality of life in towns and cities, by creating new woodland, bringing neglected woodland into active management, and working with people to help them use their local woodland. WIAT initiative includes the WIAT Challenge fund which aims to bring urban woodland into sustainable management and improve recreation facilities by carrying out agreed programmes of work.

Forestry

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding is available through rural development contracts for the Woods In and Around Towns initiative.

Michael Russell: Yes. Grants for urban woodland creation and management are available through Rural Development Contracts. In addition, the Woods In and Around Towns Challenge Fund and the Forestry for People Challenge Fund offer support for woodland-based projects.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaths have occurred as a result of Clostridium difficile in NHS Ayrshire and Arran in each of the last six months.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Ayrshire and Arran advise that there were 10 deaths in NHS Ayrshire and Arran between June and December 2008 which were directly attributed to Clostridium difficile. It should be noted that this is a provisional figure only.

  Official data on the number of Clostridium difficile related deaths, by NHS board and by hospital, is published by the General Register for Scotland (GROS) on an annual basis. I am advised that data for 2008 are not yet available but will be published by GROS in August 2009.

  The national HAI reporting template recently introduced now requires NHS boards to collect real time data on infection rates by hospital and specialty. These templates will be published on NHS board websites, and from autumn 2009 the data they record will be extended to include information on HAI related deaths.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the emergence of the 078 ribotype of Clostridium difficile, how many isolates have been detected since the Scottish Salmonella Shigella and Clostridium difficile Reference Laboratory was established, broken down by NHS (a) facility and (b) board.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Reference Laboratory advise that a total of 583 isolates (all strains) were received and typed between 20 November 2007 and September 2008. It is not possible to provide a breakdown by facility but a breakdown by NHS board is provided in the following table:

  

 NHS Board
 Total Number of Ribotypes


 Ayrshire and Arran
 137


 Borders
 4


 Dumfries and Galloway
 14


 Fife
 58


 Forth Valley
 14


 Grampian
 32


 Golden Jubilee
 1


 Greater Glasgow and Clyde
 180


 Highland
 21


 Lanarkshire
 18


 Lothian
 53


 Orkney
 0


 Shetland
 0


 Tayside
 51


 Total
 583



  I also refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20033 on 29 January 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) minimum, (b) maximum and (c) average turnaround time is for the testing of samples from patients with suspected hospital-acquired infections, broken down by (i) NHS board and (ii) medical laboratory.

Nicola Sturgeon: Health Protection Scotland do not hold this information centrally. They have advised that turnaround times are set by local laboratories in conjunction with their clinical users, but are usually between 24 and 48 hours for cultures, depending on organisms of interest, the site of infection and the sample type.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list each microbiology laboratory, broken down by location and NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: The following table details the current list of NHS laboratories including those who do not perform direct clinical testing. It is important to note that not all the laboratories shown provide a full range of tests.

  

 Hospital Location of Laboratory
 Health Board


 Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock
 Ayrshire and Arran


 Border General Hospital, Melrose
 Borders


 Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary
 Dumfries and Galloway


 Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy
 Fife


 Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Glasgow
 Forth Valley


 Glasgow Royal Infirmary
 Golden Jubilee


 Inverclyde Royal Infirmary, Greenock
 Greater Glasgow and Clyde


 Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley
 Greater Glasgow and Clyde


 Southern General Hospital, Glasgow/Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow 
 Greater Glasgow and Clyde


 Vale of Leven Hospital
 Greater Glasgow and Clyde


 Western Infirmary, Glasgow
 Greater Glasgow and Clyde


 Gartnavel Virology Laboratory (virology only)
 Greater Glasgow and Clyde


 Yorkhill NHS Trust, Glasgow
 Greater Glasgow and Clyde


 Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
 Grampian


 Lorn and Islands District General Hospital
 Highland


 Raigmore Hospital, Inverness
 Highland


 Hairmyres Hospital, East Kilbride
 Lanarkshire


 Monklands, Airdrie
 Lanarkshire


 Wishaw General Hospital
 Lanarkshire


 Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
 Lothian


 St John’s Hospital Livingstone
 Lothian


 Western General Hospital, Edinburgh 
 Lothian


 Balfour Hospital, Kirkwall
 Orkney


 Gilbert Bain Hospital, Lerwick
 Shetland


 Ninewells Hospital, Dundee
 Tayside


 Perth Royal Infirmary
 Tayside


 Western Isles Hospital, Isle of Lewis
 Western Isles



  Reference Laboratories – provide specialist typing services or specialist diagnostic services for Scotland:

  

 Hospital
 Organisms


 Stobhill Hospital
 MRSA, Meningococcal/Pneumococcal, Salmonella/Shigella/Clostridium difficile, Legionella, Parasite


 Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
 Bacterial sexually transmitted infection, Mycobacteria, HPV, BBV specialist services


 Western General, Edinburgh
 E Coli 0157


 Gartnavel General Hospital
 BBV services


 Glasgow Royal Infirmary
 Trace Elements


 Highland Hospital, Inverness
 Toxoplasma

Healthcare Associated Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the newly identified 078 strain of Clostridium difficile has affected any patients and, if so, how many and at which hospitals.

Nicola Sturgeon: There have been 16 isolates of 078 strain of Clostridium difficile reported since 2007. Information by hospital is not currently held centrally but is shown by NHS board in the following table.

  

 Board
 No of Isolates


 Ayrshire and Arran
 4


 Fife
 2


 Greater Glasgow and Clyde
 4


 Grampian
 1


 Highland
 1


 Lothian
 2


 Tayside
 2


 Total
 16

Healthcare Associated Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the relative toxicity of the 078 strain of Clostridium difficile is compared to other strains.

Nicola Sturgeon: Health Protection Scotland (HPS) advise there is some evidence to suggest that the 078 strain can cause more serious disease but that cases present in a younger age group and are more likely to be community acquired. Further studies need to be undertaken to better understand the virulence of this strain. Meantime, control of clostridium difficile is best achieved by prudent prescribing and good infection control measures.

Housing

Alasdair Allan (Western Isles) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Housing Regulator anticipates that the Hebridean Housing Partnership will have provided the necessary information about its financial plans to the Scottish Government for consideration.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Karen Watt, Chief Executive of the Scottish Housing Regulator to respond.

  Her response is as follows:

  The regulator has received a range of information from the Partnership to allow it to assess the partnership’s financial plans. Following the receipt on 12 January 2009 of financial information requested from the partnership, the regulator provided the Partnership with a confidential draft of its inspection report on 19 January 2009.

Housing

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to regulate the behaviour of companies contracted to maintain green spaces in private housing estates.

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to regulate the financial agreements between companies contracted to maintain green spaces in private housing estates and the householders who pay an annual charge to cover that work.

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to regulate the schemes that can be put in place by developers for the maintenance of green spaces in private housing estates.

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to nullify agreements between companies contracted to maintain green spaces in private housing estates and the householders with whom they have an agreement where such companies have failed to carry out the duties for which they have received an annual payment.

Fergus Ewing: The Office of Fair Trading is expected to publish its report on property managers in Scotland in February 2009. The Scottish Government will give close consideration to its conclusions and recommendations.

  We have announced we will work with the industry to support the establishment of a national accreditation scheme for residential property managers. It is intended that the scheme will be voluntary and open to all sectors offering property management services. It will be underpinned by an effective complaints system linking to robust third party redress and a requirement for its members to meet high standards of service. We have also issued an updated Planning Advice Note (PAN 65) which stresses the importance of ensuring long term management of new greenspace is considered in planning applications.

  Scottish ministers cannot intervene in private disputes about the terms of contracts made between homeowners and property managers. The regulation of business associations and consumer protection are reserved matters.

Justice

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, following the Public Petitions Committee debate on 23 January 2009, what plans the Scottish Government has to reduce knife carrying and knife crime, especially among young people.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government welcomes the discussion that took place during Friday’s debate and will now look carefully at all suggestions made during the event. In the meantime, we remain fully committed to getting knives off our streets and will continue to work with the national Violence Reduction Unit to look for opportunities to support innovative initiatives that will have a positive impact in our communities, such as the CIRV project which will tackle gang violence in the East End of Glasgow, and Medics Against Violence, which will see medics working directly with young people to highlight the dangers of carrying a knife.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils were caught carrying a knife at school in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority.

Maureen Watt: The information requested on the number of school pupils who were caught carrying a knife, or any other specific weapon, is not collected centrally.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils were suspended or expelled for carrying a knife at school in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority.

Maureen Watt: Information on the number of pupils temporarily excluded or removed from the register for carrying a knife, or any other specific weapon, at school is not collected. If there were any exclusions for carrying a knife at school, they would be recorded in the "Other" reason category.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to educate (a) primary school pupils, (b) secondary school pupils and (c) young adults about the dangers of carrying knives and issues surrounding knife crime.

Maureen Watt: This issue is recognised in the Curriculum for Excellence (which covers all stages of primary and secondary education) experiences and outcomes which include pupils learning to assess and manage risk, protect themselves and others, and to reduce the potential for harm when possible.

  The national Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) - funded by the Scottish Government - promotes programmes and materials on the dangers of knife carrying to schools and young people as part of their anti-violence campaign. The VRU has received further funding to develop a new initiative working in partnership with senior medics from Glasgow - Medics Against Violence. This includes medical practitioners visiting secondary schools and talking with S2 pupils.

  It is up to individual schools, youth organisations and local authorities to decide on which resources to use from the wide range of materials and educational programmes available on the dangers of illegal knife carrying, as they are best placed to judge the needs of the children and young people in their communities.

Justice

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were reported for breaching bail (a) through failure to appear and (b) conditions in the 12 months to 30 September 2008.

Frank Mulholland QC: In the 12 months to 30 September 2008, 11,146 charges indicating breach of bail conditions were reported to procurators fiscal.

  The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service database is a live operational database which mainly tracks the processing of the substantive charges received from the Police and Specialist Reporting Agencies. While additional charges for breaching bail through failure to appear may subsequently be added as a separate charge in individual cases, accurate and complete statistical information relating to such charges is not available.

  Notes:

  1. The information relating to charges indicating breach of bail has been extracted from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s Case Management Database. The database is a live, operational database used to manage the processing of reports submitted to procurators fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies. If a Procurator Fiscal amends a charge submitted by a reporting agency the database will record details only of the amended charge.

  2. The database is charge-based. The figures quoted therefore relate to the number of charges rather than the number of individuals charged or the number of incidents that gave rise to such charges.

Lifelong Learning

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done by Skills Development Scotland to develop initiatives to encourage young people into employment, education and training in (a) South Lanarkshire, (b) North Lanarkshire, (c) Falkirk and (d) East Ayrshire.

Fiona Hyslop: Each of these local authorities is implementing 16+ Learning Choices, our new model for ensuring that all young people have an appropriate offer of post-16 learning well before they reach their school leaving date. A range of Skills Development Scotland (SDS) services is available to support young people who need more choices and more chances. The detail of that provision at a local level is an operational matter for SDS and I have asked them to write to you with this information.

Livestock

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what management or efficiency studies it or the Crofters Commission has undertaken into the potential for reducing the costs of the Bull Hire Scheme and whether ministers will publish any such studies.

Michael Russell: No specific management or efficiency studies have been undertaken, by either the Scottish Government or the Crofters Commission, into the potential for reducing the costs of the Bull Hire Scheme.

Livestock

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether consideration was given to the quality of the bloodlines of the bulls purchased for use in the Bull Hire Scheme.

Michael Russell: This information is not held centrally. I have asked the Chief Executive of the Crofters Commission to respond to you directly with the information you request.

Livestock

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what control it has over the quality of the bloodlines of bulls owned and offered for hire by private enterprises.

Michael Russell: The Scottish Government has no specific control over the quality of bloodlines of bulls offered for hire by private enterprises. However, successor arrangements could set baseline criteria for the hire animals that would attract assistance.

Local Government Finance

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what central and local government funding streams are available to the Glasgow and Clyde Green Valley Network.

Michael Russell: There is a range of central government funding streams from which bodies such as the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Green Network may benefit. This includes grant-aid under the Scottish Rural Development Programme (e.g. Forestry Challenge Funds, Forestry Options under Rural Development Contracts) for eligible woodlands within the network area. In addition, the Government provides funding to Greenspace Scotland, one of whose purposes is to support a Scotland-wide network of greenspace partnerships and organisations.

  The Scottish Government is providing local authorities with a total funding package this year and next amounting to £22.8 billion. The vast majority of this funding will be provided by means of a block grant. It is the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities having first fulfilled its statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.

NHS Services

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how scrutiny and other services in relation to the NHS would be protected in the proposed merger of NHS Quality Improvement Scotland, the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland and the Care Commission.

Shona Robison: We are committed to ensuring that the new body provides robust assurance and scrutiny for both NHS and independent health care services, and also continues to play a significant role in supporting service improvement.

Planning

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce its decision on the Beauly to Denny power line application.

Jim Mather: The Beauly Denny public inquiry, the largest in Scotland since devolution, with public meetings being held at Perth, Inverness, Newtonmore, and Stirling during the course of 2007. The inquiry reporters are currently preparing their report, which is expected to be delivered to Scottish ministers shortly.

  It will be then for Scottish ministers to consider the reporters findings in reaching their determination. Subject to the time of receipt and the actual recommendations made, Scottish ministers aim take a decision in the course of 2009.

Planning

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-9066 by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008, for what reasons the Minister for Environment’s private secretary wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment and the First Minister on 7 December 2007 informing them that the "Park Authority planning officer is also expecting to be able to secure resolution of the outstanding highways issues early next week" and how the private secretary came into possession of information relating to a material consideration of a live planning application that was before the Cairngorms National Park Authority Planning Committee.

Michael Russell: In light of the wide public interest at the time and the fact that urgent representations had been made by parliamentarians from four different parties expressing concern about the process and timetable for consideration of this development proposal by the planning authority (Cairngorms National Park Authority) and by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, I sought information from those bodies about those matters. The purpose of the briefing note which my Private Secretary sent to ministers on 7 December 2007 was therefore to provide them with information on the processes and timetable for the planning authority’s consideration of the planning application. This included information which had been provided by Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) about their timetable for handling issues raised by the highway authority as a consultee on the application. These issues were referred to in the papers issued to the CNPA Planning Committee (and also published on the CNPA website) on 7 December 2007.

Procurement

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to consider project bank accounts for its own construction contracts.

John Swinney: Scottish Government is liaising with Office of Government Commerce (OGC) and industry groups and in due course will consider the implications for Scottish policy arising from OGC’s on-going monitoring and subsequent evaluation, in practice, of the Guide to Fair Payment Practices, including Project Bank Accounts.

Public Bodies

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has given to public bodies on selling land at the lowest point in the market.

John Swinney: Guidance to Scottish Government, its agencies and non-Departmental Public Bodies on the disposal of land and property is given in the Scottish Public Finance Manual. This guidance seeks to ensure that market value is obtained at any point in the economic cycle. The SPFM directs that professional property advice should be obtained by public bodies prior to undertaking any disposal of land or property.

Renewable Energy

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to increase the numbers of installations of microgeneration devices.

Stewart Stevenson: We are taking a number of steps to increase the number of installations of microgeneration devices across all sectors in Scotland.

  We have tripled funding for community and microgeneration;

  We are amending Permitted Development Rights for microgeneration on domestic buildings;

  We have introduced new legislation which provides a non-domestic rating exemption for businesses installing microgeneration, and

  From April our new Energy Assistance Package will for the first time include air source heat pumps among the measures available through our fuel poverty programmes.

School Meals

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children from households below the poverty line have benefited from the free school meals pilots.

Adam Ingram: All P1 to P3 pupils in the five local authorities that participated in the free school lunch trial, including children from households below the poverty line in each authority, had access to free nutritious lunches during the trial. However, it is not possible to determine the actual number of children from households below the poverty line who have benefited from the trial because statistics on households below the average income level are not available at a local authority level.

Schools

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the 71 school projects that have been taken forward during the First Minister’s term in office, as referred to by him on 8 January 2009 ( Official Report c. 13820), also showing the (a) responsible local authority, (b) date on which the work was commissioned, (c) date on which the school was opened or reopened and (d) Scottish Government ministers or officials who attended any opening ceremony.

Maureen Watt: The list of 71 schools that were completed or substantially refurbished during 2008, financially supported by the record capital and revenue funding made available by this government in the local government settlement, is provided in the following table. It is set out by local authority, date when the school opened or reopened or when the work completed, and indicating where Scottish Government ministers or officials attended any opening ceremony. The Scottish Government does not collect information on the dates when authorities commission work on individual schools.

  The period covers January to December 2008. In addition, another 81 schools were completed or substantially refurbished between May and December 2007.

  

 Authority
 School(s)
Date Opened Etc
 Minister/Official attended Opening Ceremony


 Angus
 Burnside Primary
 February 2008
 


 
 Strathmore Primary
 January 2008
 


 
 Whitehills Primary
 February 2008
 


 Dundee
 Claypotts Castle Primary
 May 2008
 


 
 Craigowl Primary
 August 2008
 


 
 Downfield Primary
 August 2008
 


 
 Grove Academy
 August 2008
 


 
 St. Andrew’s RC Primary
 August 2008
 


 East Ayrshire
 Galston Primary
 August 2008
 


 
Grange Academy Campus - Grange AcademyAnnanhill PrimaryPark Special school
 August 2008
 


 
 St. Joseph’s RC Academy
 April 2008
 


 
 St. Joseph’s RC Primary
 April 2008
 


 East Lothian
 Ross High 
 August 2008
 


 
 Sanderson Wynd Primary
 August 2008
 Fiona Hyslop (November 2008)*


 Edinburgh City
 Bonaly Primary
 November 2008
 


 
 Gorgie Mills Special School
 February 2008
 


 
Niddrie Mill Primary SchoolSt. Francis Primary School
 August 2008
 


 
 Woodlands Special School 
 June 2008
 


 Falkirk
 Kinnaird Primary
 January 2008
 


 Glasgow
 Oakwood Primary
 June 2008
 


 
 Our Lady of Peace Primary
 May 2008
 


 
 St. Fillan’s Primary
 April 2008
 


 Highland
 Dingwall Academy
 August 2008
 


 
 Drummond ASN School
 May 2008
 


 
 Kinlochleven High 
 August 2008
 


 
 Milburn Academy
 November 2008
 


 
 Portree High 
 August 2008
 


 Inverclyde
 Newark Primary
 August 2008
 


 
 Wemyss Bay Primary
 August 2008
 


 North Ayrshire
 Arran High
 January 2008
 


 North Lanarkshire
 Clarkston Primary
 October 2008
 


 Coatbridge High 
 October 2008
 


 
 St. Aidan’s High 
 2008
 


 Perth and Kinross
 Dunning Primary
 October 2008
 


 
 Fairview School
 July 2008
 


 Renfrewshire
 Bushes Primary 
 April 2008
 


 
 Cochrane Castle Primary
 May 2008
 


 
 Linwood High 
 January 2008
 Fiona Hyslop (September 2008)*


 
 St. David’s Primary
 May 2008
 


 Scottish Borders
 Denholm Primary
 October 2008
 


 
 Priorsford Primary
 March 2008
 


 South Ayrshire
 Alloway Primary
 April 2008
 


 
 Barassie Primary
 April 2008
 


 
 Belmont Academy
 August 2008
 


 
 Kyle Academy
 February 2008
 


 
 Monkton Primary
 April 2008
 


 
 Prestwick Academy
 October 2008
 


 South Lanarkshire
 Blacklaw Primary 
 May 2008
 


 Calderglen High
 February 2008
 


 
 Calderside Academy
 January 2008
 Fiona Hyslop (November 2008)*


 
 Cathkin High 
 August 2008
 


 
 Craigbank Primary 
 May 2008
 


 
 Crosshouse Primary
 January 2008
 


 
 John Ogilvie High 
 August 2008
 


 
 Sanderson High
 February 2008
 


 
 St John’s Primary
 January 2008
 


 
 St. Anne’s Primary 
 August 2008
 


 
 St. Blane’s Primary 
 August 2008
 


 
 Wester Overton Primary 
 February 2008
 


 Stirling
 McLaren High 
 August 2008
 


 
Raploch Community Campus - Raploch PrimaryOur Lady’s PrimaryCastleview School
 January 2008
 


 
 St. Modans’s RC High 
 August 2008
 


 
 Stirling High
 February 2008
 


 
 Wallace High
 February 2008
 Fiona Hyslop (November 2008)*


 West Lothian
 Linlithgow Academy
 October 2008
 


 
 Williamston Primary 
 September 2008
 



  Note: *An official attended in support of the minister.

Schools

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the Schools to go Greener initiative has been integrated into the Curriculum for Excellence and initiatives, such as eco schools.

Maureen Watt: Schools Renewables Development Officers are working with Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) to ensure that the educational implications and benefits of the package of measures announced on 5 January are most effectively integrated into the Curriculum for Excellence. The Development Officers are working with individual authorities and schools, and the eco-schools programme, to help them all make best use of the learning opportunities presented by increased installation and use of renewable technologies.

  The announced package of measures will help meet the government’s commitments to having renewable generation in every school and to contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. The educative benefits of "greener" school buildings and facilities are also important messages for the whole school community. LTS will therefore continue to support pupils and teachers in sharing knowledge, information and good practice in relation to how schools can reduce carbon emissions and make increased use of renewable technologies, including through to a Sustainable Development Education resource within their own website.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the wage bill is for the 231 staff employed by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) in Midlothian.

Maureen Watt: This is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. The information is not held centrally.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the median annual salary is for the 231 staff employed by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) in Midlothian.

Maureen Watt: This is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. The information is not held centrally.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an estimate of the financial contribution that the employment of 231 Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) staff in Dalkeith makes to the Midlothian economy.

Maureen Watt: The information sought is not available.

Special Areas of Conservation

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what body is responsible for monitoring the welfare of wild salmonids in special areas of conservation (SACs) for specific types of salmon and in SACs where Atlantic salmon are a qualifying feature.

Michael Russell: The Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is the only salmonid species listed on Annex II of the EC Habitats Directive (species for which SACs are required to be designated) which is native to Scotland. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) undertakes a rolling programme of Site Condition Monitoring (SCM) for all Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) in accordance with common standards agreed with other UK countryside agencies and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.

  SNH advises that its condition assessment of Atlantic salmon SACs is based on data from a variety of sources including the Scottish Fisheries Co-ordination Centre and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. SNH also commissions further data collection from other parties where necessary.

  Anyone who observes signs of any notifiable disease in wild salmonid stocks should contact the Fisheries Research Services in Aberdeen who will conduct an investigation.

Special Areas of Conservation

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the decline in sea trout populations in certain areas, for what reasons sea trout populations are not considered a qualifying feature for special areas of conservation.

Michael Russell: Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) are designated under the provisions of the EC Habitats Directive. Salmo trutta (whether in its migratory or non-migratory forms) is not included in the list of species for which member states are required to designate SACs.

Student Finance

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19193 by Fiona Hyslop on 15 January 2009, whether calculations were undertaken in costing option 1b in its Supporting a Smarter Scotland consultation paper at £23 million and what the detail and basis of these calculations were.

Fiona Hyslop: The calculations and costings in the consultation document were based on data and intelligence available at the time.

  Option 1b, like the other options in the consultation paper, is an example of how the additional £30 million available for higher education student support in 2010-11 could be used to improve the current student support system. The ultimate cost to the Scottish Government for all of these options would be £30 million and the basis for these costs, primarily the number of students affected and the relevant thresholds, are set out in the consultation paper. Further costs would only be produced after proposals are established following consideration of responses to the consultation. The consultation runs until 30 April 2009.

Student Finance

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether calculations have been made to cost any of the options outlined in its Supporting a Smarter Scotland consultation paper and, if so, what the detail and basis are of these calculations.

Fiona Hyslop: The calculations and costings in the consultation document were based on data and intelligence available at the time.

  The options outlined in the consultation paper are examples of how the additional £30 million available for higher education student support in 2010-11 could be used to improve the current student support system. The ultimate cost to the Scottish Government for all of these options would be £30 million and the basis for these costs, primarily the number of students affected and the relevant thresholds, are set out in the consultation paper. Further costs would only be produced after proposals are established following consideration of responses to the consultation. The consultation runs until 30 April 2009.

Student Finance

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time higher education students received the maximum amount of means-tested loan in each of the last three years, broken down by (a) whether studying at college or university, (b) independent or dependent status and (c) income.

Fiona Hyslop: This information is not held centrally. The maximum amounts of means tested loan depend on students’ individual study circumstances, including their exact course length. SAAS record the amount of loan assessed but they do not record whether the amount is the maximum for the particular set of circumstances.

  (a) The following table shows the number of students assessed by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) as entitled to means tested loans broken down by the total amount of loan they were assessed for and their institution type. The total amount of loan includes the non-means tested element. Students receiving non-means tested loans only are not included in the table.

  

 Total Loan
 2005-2006
 2006-2007
 2007-2008


Higher Education Institution
 College
 Total
Higher Education Institution
 College
 Total
Higher Education Institution
 College
 Total


 Total
 46,540
 15,700
 62,395
 44,450
 14,740
 59,340
 42,975
 14,390
 57,500


 Up to £1,000
 1,430
 285
 1,715
 1,300
 245
 1,545
 1,155
 230
 1,390


£1,000-1,499
 5,140
 2,755
 7,900
 3,755
 2,300
 6,055
 3,465
 1,700
 5,170


£1,500-1,999
 7,740
 2,265
 10,020
 8,550
 2,110
 10,675
 8,020
 2,060
 10,095


£2,000-2,499
 10,640
 1,825
 12,470
 9,705
 1,565
 11,285
 8,640
 1,570
 10,220


£2,500-2,999
 4,745
 945
 5,695
 4,835
 945
 5,795
 5,510
 945
 6,465


£3,000-3,499
 3,910
 1,020
 4,940
 3,945
 960
 4,915
 3,935
 945
 4,890


£3,500-3,999
 3,340
 660
 4,025
 3,275
 510
 3,810
 3,490
 530
 4,025


£4,000-4,499
 7,725
 4,440
 12,220
 7,390
 4,410
 11,830
 5,870
 3,975
 9,865


£4,500-4,999
 1,535
 1,490
 3,045
 1,425
 1,670
 3,120
 2,675
 1,785
 4,500


£5,000 and above
 335
 15
 370
 275
 15
 305
 220
 645
 875



  Notes:

  Student numbers have been rounded up or down to the nearest five.

  "Total" columns include a small number of students studying at other institution types.

  (b) The following table shows the number of students assessed by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) as entitled to means tested loans broken down by the total amount of loan they were assessed for and status (i.e. whether they are independent from their parents or not). The total amount of loan includes the non-means tested element. Students receiving non-means tested loans only are not included in the table.

  

 Total Loan
 2005-2006
 2006-2007
 2007-2008


 Dependent
 Independent
 Total
 Dependent
 Independent
 Total
 Dependent
 Independent
 Total


 Total
 44,085
 18,310
 62,395
 41,320
 18,015
 59,340
 39,210
 18,290
 57,500


 Up to £1,000
 1,660
 55
 1,715
 1,490
 55
 1,545
 1,335
 55
 1,390


£1,000-1,499
 7,795
 105
 7,900
 5,965
 95
 6,055
 5,085
 85
 5,170


£1,500-1,999
 9,830
 190
 10,020
 10,485
 190
 10,675
 9,875
 220
 10,095


£2,000-2,499
 12,085
 385
 12,470
 10,865
 420
 11,285
 9,805
 415
 10,220


£2,500-2,999
 5,385
 310
 5,695
 5,460
 340
 5,795
 6,100
 365
 6,465


£3,000-3,499
 3,735
 1,205
 4,940
 3,835
 1,080
 4,915
 4,005
 885
 4,890


£3,500-3,999
 1,550
 2,475
 4,025
 1,555
 2,255
 3,810
 1,690
 2,335
 4,025


£4,000-4,499
 1,650
 10,575
 12,220
 1,250
 10,580
 11,830
 940
 8,925
 9,865


£4,500-4,999
 190
 2,855
 3,045
 270
 2,850
 3,120
 250
 4,250
 4,500


£5,000 and above
 210
 155
 370
 150
 155
 305
 120
 755
 875



  Note: Student numbers have been rounded up or down to the nearest five.

Taxation

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-5488 by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 January 2009, how much was paid at the standard rate of VAT by NHS Grampian in the last financial year for which information is available.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Grampian has provided information on the value of Standard Rate VAT payments for the financial year 2007-08, the last financial year for which information is available. The total value of these payments is £25.396 million set against combined Resource Limits of £758.408 million (Revenue £729.245 million and Capital £29.163 million) for the same period.

Taxation

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-5488 by Nicola Sturgeon on 25 January 2009, what saving NHS Grampian can expect in relation to the reduction of the standard rate of VAT without consideration of other changes to VAT rules.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Grampian has provided very broad estimates of potential changes to their costs. The reduction is estimated at £1.7 million (Revenue £1.4 million and Capital £0.3 million) during the financial year 2009-10 as a result of this one specific temporary change to the standard rate of VAT. This is set against an estimated draft Resource Limit baseline budget of £699.6 million for 2009-10 (Revenue £667.0 million and Capital £32.6 million).

  Care must be taken with these figures which are one in a number of recent changes to VAT legislation, some of which are a recurring cost to NHS organisations. These additional costs relate to VAT rules for agency fees for medical staff, restrictions on reclaimable VAT on other agency staff, except for nurses, and the removal of a concession that currently allows employment businesses to exclude the wages element from the calculation of VAT. This will have an estimated recurring impact for NHS Grampian up to £1.2 million.